1. Technical Field
Devices for marking and, more particularly, to surface indentation implements or marking implements formed integral with and removable from an object to be mounted in connection with a surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
When constructing or remodeling commercial and residential buildings, various types of panels are used to form walls, ceilings, and other surfaces in the buildings. These panels are attached to a frame that in typical residential and some commercial construction is composed of frame members, such as beams or studs. Openings are formed in the panels that correspond to housings mounted on the frame members that provide transitions through the panel, such as electrical outlets, junction boxes, light fixtures, conduits, cabinets, windows, and doors. The openings are typically formed prior to permanently attaching the panels to the frame. Thus, the panel is placed on the frame members with the panel opening aligned over the housings.
Once the panels are permanently attached to the frame members, seams between adjacent panels are sealed. Because most of these housings are concealed behind the panels after installation, problems arise if these openings are not precisely aligned with the housings or if openings are not formed where the housing is positioned behind the panel.
For example, if the opening for an electrical outlet is off-set from the actual position of the electrical outlet, the opening has to be adjusted or patched so that the final opening is aligned with the outlet and a cover plate actually overlaps the opening. If the misalignment is extreme, the panel may have to be removed and discarded, which is costly in both material and labor costs.
Alternatively, if an opening has not been formed where an electrical outlet should be installed, a series of outlets may be rendered useless until the hidden electrical outlet is found. Locating the hidden outlet may require tearing down the panel and reinstalling a new panel that includes the previously omitted opening.
There are several methods of forming these openings in the panels. For example, some openings are formed by measuring horizontal and vertical distances by hand. A measurement is taken from an estimated position of where an edge of the panel will be installed to an edge of the housing that is attached to the frame. This measurement is then transferred to the panel by locating the edge of the panel and marking where the edge of the housing should ultimately be. A template is used to draw an outline of the housing and this outline is used as a guide to cut the opening for the housing in the panel. This method is imprecise and can result in misalignment of the opening, incorrect opening sizes if the wrong template is used, or an opening may not be formed where the housing is located.
Other methods include applying chalk, ink, or lipstick to edges of the housing and pressing the panel against the edge of the housing to mark the panel. The panel is removed and the housing is cut based on the mark. The disadvantage with this approach is that the marks can smudge, resulting in imprecise openings. This is frequently the case when there are several housings to be marked simultaneously.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,731 to Mesa describes spiked clips configured to couple to corners or edges of existing electrical boxes. Each clip includes a sharp outwardly projecting prong that penetrates an installed drywall panel. The drywall panel has a front and a rear surface. The rear surface faces the clips and the prong. Once installed, the prong pierces the drywall panel completely so that a tip of the prong protrudes from the front surface of the drywall.
The protruding prongs provide a marking guide to form the opening while the drywall is coupled to the frame. If the prongs are in place during the cutting of the opening, the prongs prevent a user from making precise cuts where the prongs are protruding from the drywall. Cutting the opening while the drywall is attached to the frame causes drywall residue, like chalk, to be in the electrical box, in the air, and in the room where the drywall is installed. In addition, it can be difficult for the user to easily cut the drywall while it is attached, crouching down for the electrical boxes that are positioned near the floor and getting a ladder for the electrical boxes that are near or in the ceilings. To remove the prongs, they are pulled from the front surface through the drywall. Regardless of whether the prongs are removed before or after the cutting, this pulling damages the drywall and causes the opening to be misshapen.
Another problem arises if the user wishes to remove the drywall from the frame before cutting the opening. Once the prongs have punctured the front and rear surface of the drywall, removing the drywall will either remove the clip from the electrical box or remove the prong from the clip. Each clip or prong will have to be removed individually, which is time consuming if there are several electrical boxes or other structures onto which the clips have been placed. Drawing the marking guide once the prongs have been removed can be challenging because a pen will be clogged by the chalk. Any writing utensil will not easily pass over the punctures left by the prong and will slip into the punctures.
The prongs weaken the drywall when they puncture through the front and rear surface and compromise the integrity of the drywall. In addition, these sharp prongs can be dangerous for the user, easily puncturing skin. Also, in order to use these clips, the user must figure out how many corners of electrical boxes there are and make sure to have enough of these clips with prongs before the drywall is installed. If the user does not have enough clips, it is difficult to simultaneously mark the electrical boxes without clips while puncturing the drywall where there are clips in place.